Field
The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, and more specifically but not exclusively to various techniques for scheduling orthogonally over multiple hops in a wireless network.
Background
Wireless networks are widely deployed to provide various services to consumers, such as telephony, data, video, audio, messaging, broadcasts, etc. Wireless networks enable broadband communications over a regional, nationwide, or even global region. Such networks are sometimes referred as Wireless Wide Area Networks (WWANs). One common example of a WWAN is a cellular network that supports CDMA2000, a telecommunications standard that uses Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) to send voice, data, and signaling between mobile subscribers. Another example of a WWAN is a cellular network that provides broadband Internet access to mobile subscribers, such as Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) or Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), both of which are part of the CDMA2000 family of air interface standards. These cellular networks generally provide coverage over multiple cellular regions, with a fixed-site base station located in each cell to serve mobile subscribers.
Smaller wireless networks known as Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) have been standardized, for example by the IEEE 802.11 committee. WLANs are deployed to cover small areas with a geographic coverage ranging from a few tens of meters to a few hundred meters. A WLAN uses unlicensed spectrum to provide access to a network, typically covering only the network operator's own property. By way of example, many coffee shops, hotels, and transportation hubs contain WLAN access points to the Internet.
Currently, ad-hoc wireless networks are being deployed to provide long range wireless communications for voice, data, audio, video, messaging, and multimedia (i.e., content). An ad-hoc wireless network is formed by a number of wireless nodes that join together to provide backhaul services to other wireless nodes. In an ad-hoc wireless network, content is routed from one wireless node to another until the content reaches its destination. A continuous connection is a provided to the destination through one or more intermediate nodes, which may be dynamically reconfigured to maintain a connection when one or more wireless nodes in the ad-hoc network becomes unavailable.
Ad-hoc wireless networks provide a unique opportunity to expand the wireless coverage currently offered by existing infrastructures. By way of example, an ad-hoc wireless network may be used to expand the geographic reach of a cellular network or a WLAN. An ad-hoc wireless network also provides an attractive alternative to cable and Digital Subscriber Lines (DSLs) for broadband access.
With the recent advent of ad-hoc wireless networks and the vast potential for improving wireless communications, more efficient ways are needed to support the transmission of content through these networks.